Ever been heckled by sheep? Well, I have. Round here is mainly sheep country. It’s pretty much entirely agricultural and although there are arable crops and other livestock, there are more sheep than anything else. That means that the bleating of ovines is part of the soundtrack of daily life. Usually, I find this rather…
While we’re on the subject of la rentrée, it might be worth pointing out that it’s not just the government, schools and social clubs that are starting up again after the summer. The chasse is back in town (well, the countryside hopefully). In case you don’t know, the chasse is the hunt and it’s a…
It’s all over. And that’s official. Summer, that is. In France. At the beginning of September, the summer holidays are officially over. The schools go back, government ministers and civil servants return to their desks, even the social clubs start up again after their two-month hiatus. And there’s currently a heatwave. As I write, the…
Most people with even a passing acquaintance with France will know the French word for ‘hello’: ‘bonjour’ (literally ‘good day’). However, maybe not so many will be aware of how crucial an element of social intercourse that simple word really is. Fail to preface any and every interlocution with a friendly ‘bonjour’ and you will…
“Sorry I’m late, but I’ve got 13 chickens” Our Monday afternoon French class is quite a source of quotable quotes and this week provided yet another. A new (well, old, to be honest) lady breezed in about quarter of an hour after the start time, introducing herself with the above announcement. Follow that (I didn’t).…
As part of our continuing commitment to keep the expat community informed of significant goings-on in our lovely commune of Faire-Le-Dodo (87), we’d like to take this opportunity to provide a list of things to look out for to provide reassurance that, here in the heart of rural France at least, spring is just around…
In recent days we’ve been contacted by a number of expats – especially newer arrivals in our lovely commune – concerned by an apparent spate of intimidating threats to their property perpetrated by a very large man in a very yellow jacket, driving a very large tractor around, and in some cases almost into, their…
Dear fellow anglophone residents of our fair commune. Many of you will have seen, and no doubt been concerned by, reports of the recent wave of mass hysteria apparently triggered by the deep discounting of Nutella chocolate hazelnut spread by the Intermarché supermarket chain. You will have seen this because it has been reported by…
We didn’t see you at the recent annual Vin d’Amitie at the village hall. We can only assume that you didn’t know there was free drink involved (quite an agreeable rosé méthode champènoise, as it happens). You may not even know what the Vin d’Amitie is. For the uninitiated, it’s an evening ‘do’ early in…
“So ‘vous’ means ‘you’ then?” Perfectly serious question posed by an English lady at Monday’s French Conversation class. She has lived here for eleven years. Eleven years. One-Liner Wednesday 10 January 2018
the only deadhead in the hameau 